Lead Space Structural Analyst

Space Kinetic Corp.; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Base Salary + Equity-Based

Excellent PTO & Holidays

Medical, Dental, Vision coverage

Job summary

Space Kinetic is seeking a Structural Analysis Engineer with 5–10 years of experience to perform structural analyses across spacecraft, payload, and deployment-system hardware at our El Segundo, CA headquarters. You will develop FE models, define load cases, and collaborate with design, manufacturing, and test teams to ensure lightweight, reliable hardware.

The role requires a strong background in statics, dynamics, fatigue, and fracture mechanics, with proficiency in FEMAP/NASTRAN, ANSYS,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, applied physics, or a related technical discipline.
• 5 to 10 years of experience in structural analysis, stress analysis, structural dynamics, loads development, or a related field.
• Strong foundation in statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, fatigue, fracture mechanics, and material behavior.
• Proficiency with finite element analysis tools such as FEMAP/NASTRAN, ANSYS, Abaqus, or equivalent tools.
• Experience performing static, modal, buckling, vibration, or nonlinear structural analyses.
• Ability to use hand calculations and first-principles methods to validate computational models.
• Experience supporting structural testing and correlating analytical predictions with test data.

Responsibilities

• Conduct and document static, thermo-mechanical, dynamic, vibration, buckling, fatigue, and fracture analyses using finite element analysis and first-principles methods.
• Develop structural models to predict stress, deformation, dynamic response, failure modes, and margins of safety.
• Define load cases and operating environments for spacecraft and flight hardware.
• Perform hand calculations and analytical modeling to validate results and guide design decisions.
• Collaborate with design, manufacturing, systems, and test engineers to develop lightweight, reliable, and manufacturable hardware.
• Support structural test planning, instrumentation, execution, data processing, and correlation of models to test results.
• Lead structural design trades, mass optimization, and resolution of hardware issues throughout development.
• Document and present analysis findings during internal, customer, and program design reviews.

Skills

Finite element analysis

Stress analysis

Dynamic analysis

Loads development

First-principles methods

Hand calculations

Test correlation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Master’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field

Tools

FEMAP/NASTRAN

ANSYS

Abaqus

Siemens NX

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Space Kinetic is seeking a Structural Analysis Engineer with 5–10 years of experience to perform structural analyses across spacecraft, payload, and deployment-system hardware at our El Segundo, CA headquarters. You will develop FE models, define load cases, and collaborate with design, manufacturing, and test teams to ensure lightweight, reliable hardware.

The role requires a strong background in statics, dynamics, fatigue, and fracture mechanics, with proficiency in FEMAP/NASTRAN, ANSYS,